Bad file server is enforcing file consistency

If you are getting disconnected from servers with the following error:

You have been disconnected from the server. Reason: Bad file Server is enforcing file consistency for <various>".

This usually happens if you copied over some custom content from an old install or installed some custom content that doesn't match what the server is enforcing.

You will have to delete that offending custom content if you wish to play on that server.

Not all servers have the file consistency checking enabled, you can also try another server.

You'll want to look here for the problem file (for counter-strike as an example):

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\<account>\counter-strike\cstrike or C:\Valve\Steam\SteamApps\<account>\counter-strike\cstrike

Since the error message tells you the file name, the fastest thing you can do is to use your operating system search to locate the file:

Start > Search > Find Files or Folders

Then select "all files and folders", select the partition or hard disk that your Steam is installed to (C: typically) and enter the name of the offending file in the "all or part of file name" area, then click on search.

If the search does NOT find the file, then this means you most likely have some corrupt data in your game cache file (GCF). To fix this, you'll have to delete the local content for that game and re-download the content again.

Before you do that, you can also try renaming your game folder temporarily and let Steam create a totally default installation, do this by exiting from Steam, then go to (using the example from above):

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\<account>\counter-strike\cstrike

and rename the counter-strike folder to this:

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\<account>\~counter-strike\cstrike

When you start up Steam and then click on Counter-Strike in the games menu, Steam will quickly create a default installation. Then you can go to the server where you were having the problem and see if you still get kicked.

If you still have the problem then you definitely have a bad cache GCF file and you'll need to re-download the content.

To delete the local content, go to the game that is causing you problems, so: Steam > Games > then right-click on "Counter-Strike" (for example) and select properties.

There in that properties panel is the "delete local content" button.